Act 4: Fallen Heaven - Chapter 662: Failed Diplomacy

Act 4: Fallen Heaven - Chapter 662: Failed Diplomacy

'Why?' Oscar asked himself as he gnashed his teeth. 'Why the hell is this happening?' Staring at the unwanted Sirsi, he recalled the wanderers' words on fate and the intertwining of destinies in Fallen Heaven. From the wanderer, then to the stragglers of Shattirma who attacked him, and to this horrid woman–they were all concerns, enemies, and absolute fanatics out to get him. Fate seemed desperate, pushing him onward a path he had abandoned, a path of war and conflict. Oscar grimaced, veins writhing, near popping out from the skin of his neck as his anger erupted.

He had come here for only one thing: to find Avril. Any more was distraction and obstacles to cross.

Demon acted as if answering his anger and swiped his sword from the side, driving a blue fire into Sirsi, who put up her gauntlets in defense. The massive water barrier, softened into a jelly-like substance by her Meld, distorted, and she lifted a brow in clear shock. Demon's burning sword cut through, the bubbles screeching in a hiss as the sword plunged deeper. Several scarlet blades, covered in blue flames, impaled her barrier. They couldn't reach deep enough to pierce through before the waters extinguished their flames and shattered their forms.

"I knew it. Geez, I can only imagine Aiden's face. So that's where the rest of the Heart of Flame went." Sirsi bounced off a bubble, dodging Demon's relentless chase, not a sweat broken on her cheerful face yet. Her figure danced in the air as her blonde hair fluttered freely. From her right gauntlet, several blue swords, condensed into a sapphire sheen, presumably from the Line, shot down, matching Demon's scarlet blades in number. Oddly, despite the boost from the sharp blue flames, Demon's swords could not overcome hers.

'Demon.' Oscar relayed it. Sirsi's right hand increased the sharpness of her water. Her Meld was quite tricky. The left represented defense, and the right represented offense.

'I know.' Demon retreated as the consuming flames met the torrential waters. The opposing elements devoured each other into a cloud of steam, easily dispersed by the ensuing shockwave of Ein. More cracks spread and checkered along the dry wastes. Then, a drizzle fell overhead, raining on the remains of their battle. Demon slashed once to release a powerful heat, which evaporated all hints of water and dampness, preventing her from creating her ideal environment. In a cold voice, he asserted, 'You have to join in to fight her. That or switch and let me hold the main body to fight at full.'

"Now we have a moment to talk. Can we talk?" Sirsi smiled and let out a satisfied sigh, brushing her hair as if leaving a relaxing shower. "It's no loss, right? Geez. There are limits to fighting all the time. I just dealt with an annoying bastard from Shattirma." She drew in a deep breath and bowed, shocking Oscar with her next words. "Sorry for targeting your wife. If possible, relay my apologies to her."

"More deceit?" Oscar asked.

"More ravings from a mad woman. You hurt my wife. You threaten my children. Make no mistake. If there is any fate between us, it is me killing you." Oscar grew more frustrated as Sirsi smiled widely from his threats. A magnetic pulse washed over the area like a tide onto a shore, a low hum resounding under the earth.

Silence crept and settled in the wasteland. Sirsi slumped to her knees and stared widely at the Ancient of Fire's hand. Oscar felt that if anyone had seen this scene, they might have felt pity for her, who had her entire world broken by the words of one she considered a god. But pity? If anything, Oscar felt nothing for her other than the use she might have if Ignyres's words converted her to his side, a tool to be used and tossed aside. He narrowed his eyes and silently improved the aim of his glowing platinum orbs, intent on creating gaping holes through her body at a moment's notice.

"No...it's all lies. Your mind must be daft since countless millennia after the war, Lord Ignyres." From meek words to her former vibrancy, she rose to her feet and grasped Ignyre's burning neck as her voice gained strength. A dangerous, crazed glint brightened her dull eyes. "Geez, the war must have been so horrible to destroy your thinking. As I thought, the Volten Savior must come to be, or else more will suffer from what broke an Ancient."

'Nope! It's not working! Go for it! She's beyond saving!' Ignyres cried out in Oscar's mind. She had gone against one of her gods.

Oscar didn't waste a second, firing the glowing platinum orbs that fired in a straight trajectory from all angles, already having surrounded her prior. To his left, Demon swept in and clutched his sword back, bright blue light flaring on its tip. Sirsi let go of Ignyres, her gauntlets shining as her gauntlet anima expanded and overlapped on her body, the Integration. However, he timed it well and knew she placed no defenses. The time between her Integration and a counter was not enough to block his spells that reached near her head.

However, the ground roared and caved in, sinking everyone into a new chasm, the depths unfathomable and hidden from sight, resting in the dark. As the winds of his fall brushed roughly on his skin, Oscar held onto his wheelchair and reached out to Demon. But something gripped his leg, metals rattling in a clinking tune. Oscar stared down and saw chains binding his feet, his eyes widening, stunned by the sight of the chains extending deep down the chasm, its origins shrouded in darkness. What was below? What was dragging him down? Sirsi was also chained and dragged along with him.

'Ignyres!' Oscar shouted inwardly.

'I don't know! But hang on! I don't believe that darned buckethead will allow any harm to befall you until you meet him!' Ignyres retreated, reappearing in his inner space.

The further they fell, the more the light from the surface dimmed before darkness overwhelmed them. Oscar fell further and deeper into parts unknown. He could only hold on and await his so-called fate.